Baby Steps
by Alpha Clove
Summary: " First off Howe, you need to pass your creative writing class to not fail your Junior year. Second, Melanie Stryder is in that class! You've had a crush on this girl, since when, August?  You've got to get her to be your partner for that project, dude! Simply as that" Ian said, his eyes darting between the road and my face. "How do I start?"  I ask. "Baby steps, dude. Baby steps"
1. Chapter 1

**Baby Steps**

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**Summary: " First off Howe, you need to pass your creative writing class to not fail your Junior year. Second, Melanie Stryder is in that class! You've had a crush on this girl, since when, August? You've got to get her to be your partner for that project, dude! Simply as that" Ian said, his eyes darting between the road and my face. "How do I start?" I ask.**

**"Baby steps, dude. Baby steps"**

**A/N: I own nothing. All rights to Stephanie Meyer**

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Jared's P.O.V and he is probably a little OOC

"JARED HOWE! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT OR I WILL PERSONALLY GLUE YOUR BED TO THE CELING!"

Lovely. Mom forgot to make her coffee again.

"BE RIGHT DOWN!

" I shout back. Ripping the covers off my blue and black bed; I make my way to the cold bathroom floor, dancing like a monkey as I hop in the shower. After ten minutes, the hot water snaps off thanks to my dad's limited shower minutes.

"Save the earth! Take ten minute showers!" I can hear the quote from his last college speech in my head.

Call him crazy but he loves the earth.

I dry off as I slip out of the shower and slip on a blue shirt; slightly ripped jeans,and black high-tops.

Brushing my wet, curly, black hair in hopes that it would lay down flat like my best friend, Ian's could, my phone goes off. The message flashes across my screen reads;

_Ian: If I told you that Melanie Stryder was in the backseat of my car with Wanda, would you move faster?_

He has got to be kidding me.

_Me: Really?!_

_Ian: Sorry. No._

_Me: Jerk._

_Ian: Just move it Howe I have to talk to you._

_Me: Give me 5 mins._

Giving up on my hair, I look back in the mirror. A tanned, brown eyed, sharp nose, and thin mouth stares back at me. People often told me that I could get anyone just by looking at them.

So why, I haven't I got the girl yet?

Now I wasn't the guy that dates a bunch of girl, just to gain a rep. I was the football player that only dated three girls in the past two years of high school. Truth is the only reason, I dated three and not more was because I had a crush on what Lacey said when I pointed her out 'That crazy art girl? Why would you want to know about her?'

In other words Melanie Stryder.

She had brown; mahogany colored hair, brilliant blue eyes, fair skin(Odd for people in Resistances, Arizona) and a small mouth. Not many guys liked her because of her snappy attitude that often ended in fights after school with the cheer squad and many football players's girlfriends. I guess because she always beat up them up that none of the football players liked her. Anyway, I've tried talking to her and she never seems interested in me. I shake me head and clear my thoughts off of Melanie

"JARED! IAN IS HERE!" My mom shouts.

"COMING!" I exclaim as I dash down the stairs; grab an apple, kiss my mom bye and pat my sister on the head as I walk out the door.

Ian's silver Camaro sits in the gravel driveway of my yard. He honks the horn and I sprit down to the car to move faster.

"'Bout time! I was about to leave without you!" Ian hollers from the unrolled window as he opens the door from the inside. "Thanks." I answer as I got into the passenger seat. Ian had pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. His natural black hair is brushed to the sides, Aviators are covering his eyes, grey shirt and dark jeans with flip flops. "You look nice. Are you going on a date with Wanda?" I ask as I notice his clothes. Wanda was Melanie's sister, but they were exact opposites. Wanda was a blonde, grey eyed girl with a bubbly personality and as long Ian loved her, I guess that made them both happy.

"Yeah. New movie she wants to go see but that isn't what I am talking about" he answers.

"What then?"

"Wanda call me last night and said that her aunt is assigning her classes to write a novel with a partner."

"So?" I said, slightly annoyed at Ian.

"Get Melanie Stryder to be your partner"

"Likewise. We sit next to each other and she doesn't even talk to me" I snap

"First off Howe, you need to pass your creative writing class to pass your Junior year. Second, Melanie Stryder is in that class! She happens to be a excellent writer from what I've heard from Wanda and you've had a crush on this girl, since when, August? You've got to get her to be your partner for that project, dude! Simply as that" Ian said, his eyes darting between the road and my face. "How do I start?" I ask, giving in.

"Baby steps, dude. Baby steps"

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_**A/N: I hope you guys like my first Host story! Please R&R! Next chapter in Melanie P.O.V. It's probably a little rushed too.**_

_**Thanks!**_

_**Alpha**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Baby Steps**_

_**A/N: I had a lot of spare time on my hands so I decided to do Melanie's POV today. I own nothing all rights to Stephanie Meyer.**_

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"_Left foot, Mel!"_

"_That's it! Use their weight against them!"_

"_Aim for the jaw!"_

"_Hands BEHIND the back Melanie!"_

"Like this Brandt?" I ask, pinning the dummy on the floor. "Excellent!" My twenty-five year old trainer exclaims clapping his hands in praise. Brandt had short brown hair, a stony face and had enough muscles that would make any football player jealous. In fact; he could easily be a GI. Joe if he wasn't an even five feet and seven inches.

"I just can't seem to grasp why you have to train at five in the morning instead after school like most kids?" my blonde-haired, grey eyed sister questions as she opens the glass door of Brandt Michael's Training Gym. The place I was every Monday morning.

"It's the same reason why you don't ride with Ian every morning." I answer as I toss my gym bag over my shoulders.

"I know, it's easier for me to give you a ride than ride the bus" She replies

"And; it's easier for you to drive me to school, then to wait for me to get done after." I add as I make my way to the bathrooms to change as Wanda follows me so that she can take my bag to the car. I pull out my clothes, hairbrush and other odds, ends. I zip the duffel bag close and toss it to Wanda. "See you in twenty?" I inquire.

"I'll be waiting." Wanda answers as she walks out of the gym and out to her sliver Volvo.

"Someone obliviously isn't happy about your training schedule" a friendly voice calls out. I look to the source and see Candy Greene, a twenty-seven year old local here with black hair, grey eyes and a bird like face. She is also a doctor where my cousin's husband works. We are often partnered in dual fights here. Candy was practical my second mother, since I had grown up never knowing either of my parents. Also because she lost a son not too long ago. I guess we became friends since we both lost something important. I was the daughter she never had and she was the mother I never knew. I actually often found myself going to her for advice on anything.

"She just like that I guess." I answer as I slide behind the shower curtains and began to strip myself of my training gear. I have already washed my hair when Candy asked the question.

"So how's school?"

"Fine, I guess"

"I guess?" Candy questions in a surprised tone. I walk out of the shower in black and teal-blue plaid shirt, dark jeans and black Converse. My brown hair is still slightly wet as I go over to the mirror and began to brush it out.

"Lacey Seeker won't leave me only because I sit next to Jarred Howe. I tell her there is nothing between us but she just won't listen! Any advice?" I reply as I finish up my hair and toss my shampoo and a bunch of other stuff Wanda insist I get in my locker.

"Um… The next time you see her in class and Jared is there, turn your head away from him and talk to Wanda or someone" she states as she laces up her last shoe.

"Thanks Candy" I said as I gave her a hug.

"Any time, Mel. Any time" Candy replies as I walk out of the bathroom and out to the parking lot.

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"_I'm waking up to ash and dust. I wipe my brow and sweat my rust-"_

"WHAT THE HECK, WANDA?" I scream as she rips my ear bud out as nearly runs into a ditch in the process.

"What are you doing tonight?" Wanda repeats. "I was thinking about calling Sunny and see if she wanted to go see Warm Bodies at our house." I answer as I glimpse at what she is wearing. Short brown boots (The ones that my little brother, Jamie said look like torture devices. I guess because of the long, skinny heel) a red frilly looking top and dark skinny jeans. "I'm guessing a date with Ian?" I add. "Yeah. He is taking to a movie I want to go see." She says waving her hand at the topic. "Ok…" I answered trailing often as my battered brown and gold journal pulled me back into the drawing I was doing. It was of one of the leads in my latest novel. A young man with curly brown hair, brown eyes and nice skin stares at me from a yellow page. I was into that kind of stuff. Art and writing. Most people are good at singing.

Me?

I write stories about aliens, taking over the earth.

"Hello? Earth to Melanie?" Wanda calls out as we pull into a drive-thru coffee shop. "Anything you want, Mel?" she adds pointing to the grinning guy at the window. Black hair, grey eyes, a boyish face…He seems familiar…

"BURNS!" I shout

"MEL!" He answers back. We both laugh.

"How long have you been back?" I ask, remembering when he told me six months ago that he was going to Mexico for a mission trip.

"Today makes two weeks." Burns replies, passing Wanda her coffee.

"You want anything?" He adds quickly.

"An orange tea and why didn't you tell me, you were back?" I answer.

"I was going to surprise you today by joining you at Soul High School but I guess not." He said grinning as he passed me the tea.

"See you soon!" I shout as Wanda and I waved good-bye and drove off to our personal jail known as Soul High School.

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"So what do you think of Jared Howe?" Wanda asked as we got of her car and walked up to the building.

"Nice face" is my only response along with a shrug of the shoulders. Wanda didn't get a chance to reply because right then I saw my closest friend in the world (besides Wanda) get out of her boyfriend Kyle O' Shea's car.

"SUNNY!" I holler at her.

"STRYDER!" She answers back as she dashes up the stairs, her black ponytail swishing behind her as she tackles me in a hug. She then let's go of me and does the same to Wanda. After Sunny lets Wanda go, Ian pulls her away to talk to her, leaving me with Sunny and Jared. Eventually Jared walks off, keeping his head down.

"What was that about?" I asked, my gaze following Jared as he stops to talk to Aaron and Kyle before walking off._' Did I make him mad?'_ I ask myself as I divert my gaze away from him as he glances at me, saying something I can't hear to his friends.

Then Sunny says something that I didn't even expect.

"Maybe Jared likes you?"

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_**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! This story got a lot more feed than I thought! I own nothing! R&R **_

_**Thanks.**_

_**Alpha**_


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